Our outlook for social ad spending in 2022 has deteriorated significantly since March. This report breaks down what went wrong in the past nine months, and what’s ahead in the next two years.

Close to a third of US adults don’t like anything about in-store holiday shopping, according to CivicScience. Meanwhile, for more than a fifth, experiencing the products is the biggest appeal. About the same share most enjoy the holiday music, decor, and displays, while 17% are after in-store deals.

Worldwide, head-worn augmented reality (AR) revenues will hit $35.06 billion in 2026, up from $3.78 billion this year, according to ARtillery Intelligence. These revenues include spending on everything from devices to content.

Only 13% of US adults have used augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) while shopping. Though the overwhelming majority have not, 38% are at least somewhat interested in trying the tech.

Insights from the Future of Meta report: We look at key VR hardware and software opportunities for Meta’s future as the company leverages its dominance in VR headsets to build its vision for the metaverse.

Meta reported $3.67 billion in operating losses from Reality Labs this past Q3, following a deficit of $5.77 billion in H1 2022. That’s a total of $9.44 billion in losses from Meta’s division for augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) hardware and software.

For many, Facebook’s new name introduced “the metaverse” as a concept. But a year out, most people have not entered the metaverse. Right now, Meta’s facelift doesn’t appear to have legs. (Quite literally—the little Horizon Worlds avatars still don’t have legs.)

One year after the company’s name change, Meta’s business is in disarray. We explore the reasons for the downturn, our two-year outlook, and how companies that rely on Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta platforms should adjust their strategies.

Meta’s Pro Quest: Mark Zuckerberg wants to replace laptops and smartphones with mixed-reality VR headsets, but he could fragment the metaverse by looking too far into the future.

More than 80% of video game developers worldwide were making games for PCs as of May 2022. For console and mobile games, that figure was closer to 40%.

Meta faces new challenges: ByteDance and Sony are building their VR ecosystems. This could be the perfect time for Meta to double down on its productivity and collaboration-focused metaverse

Technologies like digital clienteling tools and NFTs have created avenues for online engagement that can appeal to luxury consumers while maintaining a sense of exclusivity distinct from the typical public-facing website.

Snap in survival mode: Snap is laying off some of its augmented reality hardware and software talent, stalling years of innovation and putting its leadership position in AR at risk.

Shipments of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices will increase more than sixfold worldwide over the next four years, from 14.3 million this year to 87.7 million in 2026.

Zuckerberg’s slipup is a bad omen for its metaverse: Meta’s CEO shared an ugly photo of its metaverse platform that kicked off a week of mockery and concern.

While the metaverse is still taking shape, consumers are already interested in using it to enhance everyday experiences. About 60% of US teens and adults believe that virtual environments will make the process of finding a fitness or exercise routine significantly better, and the same percentage expect them to improve real estate shopping.

Meta’s Q2 shows how far its ad business has fallen: Wounded by privacy changes and a lack of young users, the value of Meta’s ads is plummeting.

Paving the path to the metaverse: Unprecedented interest in the emerging metaverse might cool if the tech industry can’t sustain momentum on innovation and public enthusiasm during the downturn.

Beyond just advertising, Alphabet’s tech touches nearly everything. This report looks at 23 of its most important business areas, examining their maturity, disruption of the market, leverage over partners, integration with other products, and five-year outlook.

Can Meta sustain its VR headset dominance? It has 90% market share, but its Horizon Worlds metaverse apps are only accessible in the US and Canada, leaving room for new entrants to compete.